Edwardsville Showcase - Two Way Threats

Below is a list of players I had the chance to see play on Saturday and Sunday at the NCAA Edwardsville Live Showcase. Players in this category are somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife. With a multi-faceted skill set, these players demonstrated consistent two-way play.      Hugo Lopp maintained high energy throughout the game. He finished on several slashing plays through the lane despite being outsized. Lopp also showcased a soft mid-range jumper and a few three-pointers, adding to the team's scoring depth. On defense, Lopp kept his hands in passing lanes, knocking down passes and preventing drives. Overall, Lopp appeared to be a two-way player with the potential to score at multiple levels and to defend reliably.     Jaevon Williams is a shooting guard who handles the ball effectively and displayed a flashy jumper from midrange and beyond the arc. Williams made a couple of nice drives to the rim, including one where he switched hands mid-jump for a smooth jumper with an opponent's hand in his face, and a couple of threes, promising offense for his age. He was also a tough defender, stopping drives and jumping into passes.     Caden Cody-Jackson played a big game. He contested shots against bigger defenders, wreaked havoc in the paint, and used his quickness to close out on traps. Cody-Jackson consistently pushed the pace in the front court with his high energy, crashing the boards for second chances, and making slashing drives down the lane.     Connor Cuddy is a sizeable forward who showed he can play outside the paint. He made several strong drives beyond the three-point line, including two spin moves, leading to drives down the lane that he finished at the rim. Cuddy also brought the fundamentals of a traditional power forward, including contesting shots, going up for rebounds, and clearing out space.     Dereon Smothers found most of his points under or near the rim but showed a willingness to score at all three levels. Smothers made several strong slashing drives, cutting through lanes, and showcased his ability to play above the rim. Smothers also looked strong in the backcourt, making quick, smart decisions and changing the pace.     Enich Palmer contributed with strong rebounding and scoring depth down low. He battled for position and showed he is willing to play against opponents who outsize him. He also flashed a scorer's touch with a nice midrange shot and solid handling skills.     Will Lehman made some nice plays in the backcourt, cutting down passes in the lane and taking the ball end-to-end for layups. He also contributed to the team's scoring with a soft jumper and drives. Lehman is capable of knocking down threes. He was active on the boards all game long, pulling down several rebounds and pushing the pace. Overall, he looked like a player who consistently communicates with his teammates and brings positive energy and attitude to the court.     Troy Ford has decent size for his position and showed flashes of offensive upside with a baseline drive and a bank off the glass. Ford also impressed with spin-move fadeaway jumpers near the low post, adding to the team's low-post offense. Ford also added to the team's rebounding stats and looked good in the backcourt when playing down low.

Below is a list of players I had the chance to see play on Saturday and Sunday at the NCAA Edwardsville Live Showcase. Players in this category are somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife. With a multi-faceted skill set, these players demonstrated consistent two-way play.